Standard-Freeholder year in review: July 2018

Handout/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network
This photo provided by Roxanne Montroy shows the Cornwall Fire Department's aerial apparatus at work during the July 26, 2018, fire at Montreal Road and Alice Street. It was taken from an apartment building west of the scene.
Handout Not For ResaleSupplied

July in Cornwall got off to a blisteringly hot start on Canada Day with temperatures soaring to nearly 40 C, with plenty of humidity to boot.

The weather kept most people away from Lamoureux Park until the unforgiving sun finally began to set and the fireworks show was about to begin.

Although the vote took place on June 30, it wasn’t until a few days later that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne announced the results of its general election. Incumbent Grand Chief Abram Benedict was re-elected to a second term with more than three-quarters of the popular vote.

Three days prior to the election, the previous council had made a historic decision to approve the proposed $240-million settlement agreement to resolve the Dundee Land Claim – a dispute that has lingered for 130 years.

The beginning of July also marked the 60th anniversary of Inundation Day; the day the river valley was flooded to create the St. Lawrence Seaway. Most people able to remember that day are in their 70s or older, and there were events held across SD&G to mark the occasion and reflect on the hardship and the progress the flooding caused. In Morrisburg, for instance, new signs were unveiled on the waterfront that shows where the sunken parts of the old town are compared to the current shoreline.

An Orleans Red Sox player hugs hero Brandon Baregheh after Monday’s final at the Senior Provincial Baseball Championships. Photo on Monday, July 9, 2018, in Cornwall, Ont.Todd Hambleton/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network

Back in Cornwall, people were being dive-bombed by a pair of nesting Merlin Falcons on the intersection of McConnell and Ninth streets. The birds were nesting in the cemetery near the intersection and were being extremely protective of the area while they care for their four fledglings.

The falcons were routinely attacking patients and staff at the Cornwall Community Hospital and the adjoining mental health centre until administration finally called the Ministry of Natural Resources to deal with the situation.

The city initially decided that for the sake of public safety, the adult falcons would have to be trapped and relocated. But as a consequence, the fledglings would need to be sent to a rehabilitation centre.

It was a controversial choice and sparked a heated debate on local social media for week. It proved to be unnecessary though. Before the trapping took place, the attacks stopped and soon after the fledglings had left the nest and their parents left as well. The nest was dismantled to discourage them from returning.

While people debated the fate of birds, the Agape Centre was quietly going through a major financial crisis which finally came to a head in mid-July. The local food bank and soup kitchen held an emergency press conference to plead for financial donations to help keep them running.

The financial collapse of the Agape Centre was all the more remarkable because the organization had just posted a razor-thin surplus of $1,000 – after years of large deficits – at its annual general meeting.

The plea was effective though, as the people of Cornwall opened their wallets and donated many thousands to help the centre get back on its feet.

The municipal election really started to get underway in July when then-councillor Bernadette Clement announced her candidacy for the office of mayor. She made the announcement in front of an enthusiastic crowd that foreshadowed the large amount of support she would get on voting day.

July ended on a slightly grisly note when the body of Akwesasne member Kenny Leaf was discovered on St. Regis Island. Leaf had been missing since Jan. 22 and the 50-year-old’s disappearance hit the community hard. So far, no one has been charged with his death.